This invention relates to the reduction of friction between moving passive elements and more partially to lyophilic coated passive surfaces of elements having contact and relative movement with a fluid medium.
Great care has been taken to reduce the friction between metal to metal contacting power producing elements within the crank case of a modern internal combustion engine. For example, bearing surface materials are continually improved as are the lubricating oils (synthetic or natural) commonly used to lubricate those bearings.
The outer surfaces of the rotating and reciprocating elements within the crank case have been overlooked with respect to the boundary layer friction produced by their movement, at least partially, through the lubrication oils within an engine crankcase.
Efforts have been made to slick coat the internal surfaces of intake manifolds of internal combustion engines as taught James W. Schwerdt in U.S. Pat. No. 3,102,515 issued Sept. 3, 1963.
Coating of the inner surfaces of exhaust with vitreous porcelain enamel for use with internal combustion engines was taught by E. H. Weil in U.S. Pat. No. 1,512,961, issued Feb. 11, 1918.
Coating of the inner surfaces of a carburetor used with an internal combustion engine to prevent icing and the resulting engine stall was taught by Vladimir Haensel et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 2,899,943, issued Aug. 18, 1959. This patent taught the use of hydrophobic materials that were not wetted by water. The materials included the chemical condensation of phenol-formaldehyde, phenol-furfural, urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde, aniline-formaldehyde, etc., polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers, Teflon, polymerized monochlortrifluoroethylene, polyether (EPON) resins, polyvinylbutyral, polyesters (such as those based on phthalic, maleic, or "carbic" anhydride, and or various polyols as well as on allyl alcohol," etc.
In British Pat. No. 1,152,957, published May 21, 1969, by Cecil Arthur Creber lyophilic coatings were taught for use on carbon build up areas within an internal combustion engine. Creber taught that coating the combustion spaces of cylinder heads, unplated cylinder walls, poppet valve heads, valve sterns, valve guides, and inlet and exhaust ports and passages with polytetrafluoroethylene prevented carbon build up and reduced friction. This is, however, generally ineffective due to coating burn off after a short engine operation time.
Discover magazine for April 1984, at pages 67-71 teaches the need for slippery skins for speedier submarines and teaches employing mucus-like plastic or the secretions of clouds of microscopic bubbles, heated hulls, hulls covered with fine grooves and hulls with soft skins that subtly change shape for this purpose.
The prior art is completely void of any suggestion of a problem due to boundary layer friction produced by the mere movement of passive surfaces of active elements, for example, in the crank case of an internal combustion engine and, therefore, have not addressed a solution for the reduction of this drag friction.
Obviously, it is important in this era of fuel shortages and high economic costs of fuels to eliminate as much boundary layer induced friction encountered by passive moving parts as possible.
The problem of boundary layer induced drag friction produced by passive moving elements in a fluid medium and the reduction thereof has not been approached prior to the emergence of this invention.